淑女的欲望

"Are you done with work?" Still husky from sleep, her voice caught Xander by surprise as he approached the bed.

"Yeah. I thought you were asleep, babe..." Xander\'s smile was warm as he settled onto the edge of the bed staring at her gently. Even in the dim light, he could see her gloomy expression. "Babe, you look a bit gloomy. Are you alright?" 

"It\'s nothing. I just couldn\'t fall asleep," Scarlett replied. She moved to sit beside Xander. 

"Baby, can you come downstairs with me?" Xander\'s request left Scarlett puzzled, wondering why he was asking her to go downstairs in the middle of the night.

"Why?" She asked. Feeling confused.

"Something happened to Aunt Martha, and I need your help to check her condition," he lied.

Xander objects to using this excuse, but Zara insists it is the only way for Scarlett to come downstairs without arousing suspicion. Now, he wants to know whether or not Zara\'s advice is right.

"What\'s wrong with Auntie?" Scarlett responded as she got up from the bed, quickly retrieving her silk night robe and securing it around herself. As she moved to leave the room, she noticed Xander sitting there, his gaze locked onto her with a surprised expression, almost as if he was captivated by her presence.

"Xander, what\'s going on? Let\'s go, hurry!" Scarlett took Xander\'s hand, urging him to get up. She guided him out of the room. "Tell me about Auntie Martha. What happened to her?" she asked again as they descended the stairs.

Xander was still mildly amused by how flawlessly Zara\'s idea was working.

"Xander?" Scarlett\'s call snapped him out of his daze.

"Mmm... Babe, you\'ll see when we get there," Xander replied, regaining his focus. He led her into a back hall, deliberately speaking loud enough for the others to hear, so the others would know they were close.

Unaware of what was about to unfold, Scarlett trailed behind Xander toward the back area. Despite the confusion, Scarlett held back her questions. Her heart was filled with a silent prayer for Aunt Martha\'s well-being. 

Before long, they reached the door — it was a room Scarlett recognized as Martha\'s special haven, a place where she used to host friends during visits to the Riley Mansion. She\'s been in this room a few times.

Feeling nervous, Scarlett\'s grip on Xander tightened. She held her breath when she watched Xander slowly push the door open. However, her confusion increased when she found the room cloaked in darkness. Still, she followed Xander\'s lead, stepping into the room.

Then the lights abruptly turned on, accompanied by a chorus of cheers and applause that jolted Scarlett. 

Startled, her eyes widened as she saw nearly all her friends gathered in the room with their warm smiles at her. 

Standing at the forefront, Aunt Martha beamed. "Happy birthday, dear Scarlett," she said.

"Happy birthday, little girl!" Grandpa Riley added.

"Little sister, it\'s your day!" Rex\'s voice echoed from the back. "Why the tears?"

"Surprise, girl?" Zara\'s grin was irrepressible. "May your birthday be wonderful, my dear Scarlett."

Their words left Scarlett utterly speechless. She never imagined they would all be here, awaiting the stroke of midnight to celebrate her birthday. 

Slowly, Scarlett\'s gaze shifted to Xander. Attempts to express her feeling seemed to fail; several times, her lips parted, but no words emerged—the surprise was too overwhelming to put into words. Unthinkable that Xander had orchestrated such a surprise party for her. 

This morning Scarlett even thought Xander had forgotten her birthday.

Xander caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes and leaned in to whisper, "Happy birthday, my beautiful wife."

Scarlett\'s tears welled up uncontrollably as she gazed at Xander. Though she tried to speak, her words failed her, leaving her with nothing to say but tears.

"Baby, please don\'t be sad," Xander pleaded, taken aback by her emotional outburst. He watched as her cheeks became damp with the flow of tears. Swiftly, he enveloped her in his arms, his voice a soft reassurance, "Our family and friends might think you\'re not happy they\'re here."

Hiding her face in his chest, Scarlett was taken aback by his words. She tried to calm herself for a moment before finally saying in her barely audible voice, "I... I\'m not crying because I disliked the surprise. I\'m just... so touched," she managed through her sobs, "Thank you, Xander."

Xander\'s affectionate smile accompanied the gentle caress of his hand on her back. "I\'m glad you liked it. So, shall we take a look at your cake and chat with everyone?" he suggested.

Reluctantly withdrawing from his embrace, Scarlett wiped her lingering tears and slightly nodded. She turned her attention to express her gratitude to her family and friends for their thoughtful presence and the surprise they had planned for her. 

Amid her gratitude, Scarlett couldn\'t help but be taken aback by Theodor\'s unexpected presence. How could he have traveled so far just to be part of her surprise? The gesture moved her deeply.

The surprise party carried on, with Scarlett being presented with a beautiful cake and heartfelt gifts. Eventually, Martha and Grandpa Riley excused themselves, leaving the younger to enjoy their gathering.

Sitting with Zara on the sofa, Scarlett observes the lively conversation filling the room. At the same time, the men engage in discussions on the other side of the sofa. She smiles happily before paying attention again to Zara.

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Zara. She held the look for a few moments, silently conveying her sulk to her. 

"Oh, come on, Scarlett Piers! You\'re going to strain those pretty eyes," she chimed, giving Scarlett\'s cheek a teasing, affectionate pinch.

A pout tugged at the corner of Scarlett\'s lips as she said, "You\'re utterly heartless, sis! Why on earth did you have to keep this whole surprise under wraps? It was driving me crazy all day, especially since Xander seemed to have completely forgotten about my birthday..." She took a deep breath.